The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-23
Obj Q,rtelli2esiIt14r'':.,.
i wiIEgLINu, W. VA, NJ AZ ~. 1887.
Tho New Jersey i,lnsphemy Trial.

1NgIt is not often that the lNrELLldESCER Is
able 10 agree with Colonel Ingersoll, but
believing that aome things cannot BIO &C.
complained by law and ought not 80 to be
attempted, We are obliged to regard "a one
OF the absurdities OF the times the blas.
phemy trial Jus. ended in MoIristown, New
Jersey. Tho Law 10 vindicated after all
the hubbub tho wretched culprit Ia fined
S25 90 and costs, and SO much rs 1t can do
tho State OF Now jersey has done to de.
! fend from attack the Omnipotent God and
to punish for ''contumeliously Ieproach.
4 ing" the Christian religion. The ofIense
was committed through published
pamphlet which came within the bias.
pbemy statute.
The jury was right to convict. AS the
Judge pointed out, the law was not dead
or obsolete. Though the product OF colo
nial times, II was re.enscted in 1874 and
egain In 1874 through q revision Of the
statutes. The court was able to point fur.
Their to the TACT that though tho Legisla.
: ture had been in session since the indict.
ment, no suggestion had been made look
ing to tho repealof,the statute. Therefore
twas reasonable to regardthe law as repre-.
nenting tho sentiment Of the people. This
Z was sound reasoning, and, the law being
clear and the otierae established, nothing
remained for the jury but 10 convict. In.
gersoll wanted the jury to regard the lay
as bad, unconstitutional and obsolete, con.
alterations with which the jury had moth
ing whatever to do. le Is (,
IngersolI was right when he addressed
himaelf to the absurdity and tyranical
nature OF the law. And herein largely ia
the mischief OF such u etatute, and OF a
' prosecution under 1t. It gives to men Of
z 1ngersoll'a talent and destructive tenden'
cies chance to appeal to the common
.asnse Of propriety, of fairness, Of justice;
to put beautifully and strikinsly thoughts
and settled principles from which scarcely
any freeman will dissent; and on this
! basis to erect superstrucsure Of highly
ornamented error, the true being used to
I support the false. More than this, men
Of the Ingorsoll kind are given chance
( to ask sneeringly whether God is 80 weak
being and the religion Of the Bible 80
faulty an affair, that neither can endure
j without bridling the tongue by statute OF
cutting tout by the roots. Without tbs
sneering wo are prompted to AJAX the same
question.
~ Itshocks the moral sensibility to hear
or road blaaphemous utterances, but il the
biasphemer cannot bequisted by a mild re-
E bnse, orby other gentle means BIO brought
to renIizs the error Of his way, it were
better TO leave him to settle the account
with his Maker, Who knows all things and
is equal to sll things, New Jersey lew
has made 8 blasphemer pay $25 and cosiB,
and there Is not q man or woman in that
State or out Of it,who conscientiously be.
7 lieves that the cause Of truth, as it ia re-
vealed in Gods Word. has been advanced
in any degree by the trial, the conviction
and the sentence. Not blasphemer in
{ New Jersey or out Of it has been convinced
I of anything more than the enc fact that in
New Jersey tho blapphemy statute ia not
dead nor sleeping.
Ingersoll;sm would grow very fast if
prosecutions ci this kind were numerous.
The Law which mskes them possible 10 not
worthy Of q ists, God.fearing people. 1t
( is in ils nature barbarian. 4.